Reversing-gear mechanism.



E. Hi PLMER L W. S. KNSLEY. E M- L H- V. PALMER L W. H. ROBERTS, EXECUTORS 0F E. H. PALMER, DEC D. REvERsiNG GEAR MECH/mism. PPUCATIN FLED UG5| '1912. I 1 1,212,250. Patent@ Jam 1G, V317.

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,D. C E D um E M L A DI -um Y. LLE LF SO NS :IIR K0 .I QW & DH CL M E. H. PAL E, M, I H. v. PALMER &\1.H.RosIITs,ExEcU REVERSING GEAR MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED AUG.5, I9I2.

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Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

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EDWARD H. PALMER AND WILLIAM S. KINSLEY, OF READING, MASSACHUSETTS; SAID KINSLEY ASSIGNOR TO SAID PALMER; EMILY M. PALMER AND HAROLD V. PALMER, BOTH OF READING, MASSACHUSETTS, AND WALTER H. ROBERTS, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS, EXECUTORS OF SAID EDWARD H. PALMER, DECEASED; SAID EXECUTORS ASSIGNORS TO EMILY M. PALMER AND HAROLD V. PALMER, INDI- VIDUALLY.

REVERSING-GEAR MECHANISM.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

Application filed August 5, 1912. Serial No. 713,288.

United States, and residents ol Reading, inl

the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reversing-Gear Mechanism, of which the following is a specifica-.

tion..

This invention relates to mechanism whereby rotary motion of a driving' member may be quickly'imparted to a driven member either .forwardly or backwardly, the invention being especially adapted for aalculating machines to provide for actuating counters in either direction to effect either addition or subtraction.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved reversing gear capable of ay somewhat general application. Jfurther objects beingto provide means .vhereby the said reversing gear can be utilized to enable sums to be added'or subtracted. which means will now be described and clainied.

Of the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a Jfront elevation. partly in section. showing` the invention applied to a calculating machine; 2 represents a sect i 2--2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 represents a` section on line .E3-3 ot Fig'. 2; Fig. l is a view similar to a, portion ol Fig. 2, but illustrating a dilferent adjustment oli the iliinions; Fig. 5 is a plan view o1 the mechanism shown in Fig. 1; Fig. (i is a perspective view ot one ot' the retainingl collars; Fig. 'represents a section on line 7 7 ot Fig. l 5 Fig. 8 is a view similar to a portion ol Fig'. i2, but illustrating.` a modification; Fig. il is a view similar to Fig. 2, but looking in the opposite direction and showing, partly in section. the mechanism for resetting the driven wheels to initial positions, said resetting,` niechanism being omitted from the preceding' figures to avoid confusion; Fig. l() is a view similar to F ig. Q, but showing the resettingr roll in operative position; Fig'. ll is a perspective view of the resetting mechanism; Fig. l2 illustrates a. modilication oi' the carrying projections which move with the driven wheels; Fig. 13 represents a section on line 13-13 of Fig. 1Q; Fig'. 14 is a somewhat diagrammatic elevation illustrating a modification of the reversing gear; Fig. 15 is an elevation, partly broken out or in section, of another modification of the reversing gear; Fig'. 1G represents a section on l-ine lli-1G ot Fig. l5; Figs. l?, 1S. lil and Q0 are views similar to F ig. ll, partly broken out or in sectiomol other modifications of the reversing` gear; Fig. 2l is a @an view of the type of reversing gear shown in F ig. 20; Fig. 22 is a view similar to Fig. 20, showing another modification of the reversing gezin; Fig. 23 is a view similar to Fig. fl, but illustrating a modification of the mechanism for resetting` the driven wheels to initial positions. All ot' the Figs. 14 to 2? inclusive are somewhat diagrannnatic, but include enough to explain the structures illustrated thereby.

Reiten-ino tirst to Figs. 1 to T inclusive, a series ot wneels il() are loosely mounted upon a cylindrical rod ill. In the embodiment illustrated., which is intended chiefly for calculatingV mechanism. the wheels are provided with peripheral bands 3'). bearing numerals arrangml in three series from 0 to 9. Said numerals arc adapted to show successively throusrh sido ci inojs f'- in a casing.' Flach if mined p'fwidcil with a crown glcar 35. "lhc rod A vided with lateral recesses :lo u 3). the bottoms oll which jform bea; ings Vfor `the hubs or hollow spiudlcs 37 having two pinions -'l'ispaced a little farmer apart than the diameter ot'v the crown gear VB5. The hubs 37 are retained in the bearing recesses Elli by collars 23S) slidably mounted on the rod 3l. said collars being; cut away7 as best illustrated in Fig'. l, so that the projecting portions can extend past the hubs 37 (Fig. to retain said hubs in the bottoms of the recesses The collars Si). when moved to the position shown in Fig'. 5, abut against collars 40 suitably iixedon the rod 3l. rl`his structure o'l the collars 3S) is simple and convenient in assembling or disassembling` the latter being; done by sliding' the collars 39 along so as to open the recesses 3G. It is to be understood, ot course7 that the collars 39 will be so constructed., or provided with such means.. that they will retain proper positions for holding the hubs 37 in place.

The hubs or hollow spindles 37 are mounted upon rotatahle'pins il and are adapted to4 he clutched to said pins so as he rotated thereoy, as presently explained, or to he nnclntched therefrom. The low i' end oi' each holler? spindle is provided with an annul ar groove i2 which receives pins of a yoke i3 carried by an i t: projecting troni a rock har i5 suitably mounted in hearings i6 (Fig. provided hy portions the traine ot the machine not shown: The roch har 45 has an arn'i or lever i? provided with. a detent i8 adapted 'to eA ige either one ot a plurality of notches fifa rovided 'in a ,iiied member forming part of secured to the :traine of the inacliine. rlfhe lever or arm i? has a handle hy means oit i Lich the har do and its arins tl niay he shifted so to raise or lower all of the hollow spindles 37 and their pinions 38, as illustrated hy full and dotted line positions in Fig. 2.

The lower end 5l of the hoilorrroindle is somewhat enlarged and is prov.L ...i with 'a series 01' ten crown teeth which ooperate with a pin 52 carried hy a somewhat en larged lower portion 58 oli the pin di. low said enlarged portion 53 is a vert elongated ratchet pinion 54. its shown inllig. l, the portions 4l, 53 andY are in tegral. Obviously they might be separate, suitably secnredtogether. The ratchet pinions are mounted on fixed pins 55'rising from the hase 56, said ratchet pinions being separated troni said hase hy spur pinions ro tatahly mounted. on the pins 55. lilach spur pinion meshes with an actuating' rack har 58, which in the present illustrations might he termed the priine inover. W hen the invention is embodied in a complete calculating machine, the rack hars 58 are actuated by suitable mechanism, the amount ot reciprocation imparted to each rack har being according to the amount, troni one to 9, that is to be added or subtracted. it is not considered necessary to illustrate or describe herein any particular means tor reciprocating the rack bars 58.

Each spur pinion 57 has' a disk 59 to which is pivoted a springpressed pawl 60 which engages the ratchet pinion above said disk, a detent paivl 6l preventing return motion. lt Will now he understood that a vreciprocation ot either rack har 5&3 to a greater yor lesser extentl Will, during its inove nient in one direction, act through the pawl 60, engaging ratchet pinion 51h to rotate said pinion an amount which may he anywhere from one to nine. the return motion oi said rack har the detent 5i holds the ratchet pinion 54: While the paWl 60 runs idly over the teeth of ratchet pinion 54. @i course the amount of rotative movement that is iinparted to the ratchet pinion 54 is transmitted through the clutch comprising the pin 52 and toothed lower end 5l ot the hol- 10W spindle 37, to both ot the pinions 38,

engagein riven The direction of rotan` tion t'iat imparted to the driven ineinher will de end upon which of the pin? inesh with the crown gear, meshing are diainetrioally u other. As the driving'member frais-le relatively to the driven nt so as to shift the driving Y n one side to the other of nner, it is ohvions that the I, siniple reversing niechaespecially adaptedto cause the erals borne hy the Wheels to one 'direction or the otherto eiilect or subtraction. lin the case'of a y et these reversing' gearsit is often ,.e,

iachine, that the motion of one Wheel shai oe carried over to the adjacent Wheel.

the diiv. structure i nisin that series oit travel the case orf a calculating machine it is.

necessarjT that Whenever the sum to be added to one Wheel is sncient to constitute ten or more, the next Wheel shall 'oe moved one step. ..his is so Well known that it needs no furdescription.

lalle will now proceed to describe the carrying mechanism, referring particularly to Figs. l and 5. For each pair oi' wheels 30V there is carrying lever 62 pivoted to a suitable supporting post 63, each carrying lever having a spring' 64's() connected to it as to tend to swing said lever `from the full line positie-not 5 to the dotted line position against a stop 65. lPivotally connected to one end oi each lever 52 is a carrying arin 55, Fig. 5 showing lout one of said arms. is 'to he understood, of course, that there will he a carrying arm GG'ifor each carrying lever 62. T he rear end of the carrying arm is inclined as at G7', one edge of said inclined A end cooperating with a iixed guide pin 68 one of the rteeth oi" `ratchet pinion. 54 during ot the gearing, While the counters 30 constitute` and in tact necsary'ina calcua. snllicient length of stroke of the carrying arm to impart one tenth of a rotation to the ratchet 'pinion that is engaged by said tooth.

it should he explained here that each ratchet pinion is adapted to he rotated, by rack har 58, through the pawl 60,-a distance equal to any nunihcr ot its teeth from one to nine. it is also to he understood that when a har 58 is moved rearwardly it does so only to to the extent which, upon return inoveinent, will impart the desired amount of rotation to the ratchet pinion. ln other Words, the normal position ot the rack hars 58 is illus- 4trated in Fig. 5, and that While said hars inclined end 67 of the carrying arm and a tooth of the ratchet pinion 5l so to loch said ratchet pinion against overmotion. Pivotally con .ec-ted to the other end of each carrying lever h2 is a detent arin 7l. Both airins 6', and 7l are caused toiind their operative positions by torce ot a spring 72 coiled around the pivot (33 and suitably engaged at its ends with said arms. Each detent arm 7l is formed with a recess5 one` side of which providesa shoulder which coacts with a fixed stop 73 so that when such shoulderi is in engagement with said stop the spring GJ: will be stretched. In other words, each spring 64C ytends to swing thecarrying lever 62 from the full line position ot Fig. 5 to the dotted li'ne position whenever the detent arm 7l is pushed aside to disengage its shoulder from the stop 73. Devices that will be presently described act upon pins 7l carried by the detent arm 7l so that, when set for addition, this disengagement will occur whenever a wheel '30 brings a zero to the sight opening 33 so that the spring (il ot' the released carrying lever will swing the latter to the dotted line position, and cause the carrying arm 6G at the other end of said carrying lever to act through its tooth GS) to impart one step rotation to the next ratchet pinion 54e at the left. this motion being of course transmitted through the reversing gear mechanism described to the nent numeral wheel at the lett. Then the mechanism is sot for subtraction. the disengagement described will occur `when the wheel7 vmovingin. the other direction, is bringing a 9 to the sight opening.

lilac-h whee` 30 is provided with three cams or projections 75, either one of which is adapted to act upon the pin 7+ to release the deten't arm 7iv for the purpose just mentioned. flhe reason -for there being three of such ean'is or projections 75 ior each wheel is that in the enil'iodiment illustrated. each wheel 3() carries three sets of numerals Jfrom 0 to 9. Consequently, for a computing machine. it is essential that there shall be a carrying e'liected by each one-third rotation of a wheel 30.

.The description so Afar has referred especially to addition. li.' subtraction is to be eliected the result can be obtained by simply actuating the lerer 47 (Fig. to shift its detent into the next notch 49. This results l in all of 'the arins raising or shifting the tion shown in Fig. 2 so that although the 4 rotation that will be impart-ed by the prime movers or actuating rack bais 58 to the" ratchet pinions 5e and the pinions 3S will be in the same direction as before, the motion that will be transmitted to the wheels 30 will be in the `reverse direction. and will consequently run the numerals in the downward scale and perform subtraction. The raising of the hollow spindles to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2 will not disconnect the lower toothed ends 5l from the pins 52. The lever l? may be moved to a farther point, however, so that the hollow spindles can be raised to the full line position shown in Fig. el, which will then disconconnect the lower toothed ends 5l trom the 52 but still leave the lower pinion 38 in sufficient engagement with the crown gear to render it certain that the parts can reassume proper meshing position. The reason why it is desirable to disconnect the lower toothed end 51 from the pin 52 is to enable all. of the wheels 30 to be reset to initial or Zero positions by the mechanism which we will presently explain.' lVhen such resetting has been effected the lever i7 will be re turned so that the pinions 3S will occupy either the positions shown by full or dotted lines in. Fig. 2 according to whether addition or subtraction is to be next effected. As a matter of fact when the invention is embodied in a calculating machine, there will be no occasion to eiiect subt action after the wheels 3() are brought to'zero or initial positions. l

Before describing the. resetting mechanism we will refer to il, inA which we illustrate a modification in the/means for holding the hollow spindles in their bearings. ln said 'ligure we illustrate a tubular rod 3l which takes the place of the rod 3l in Fig. l.. said tubular rod 3l having recesses 3G which receive the hollow spindles 37. T0 hold said spindles in place a key strip 7G is provided, said strip being slidable in from the end of the tubular rod, said strip being provided with a rib 77 entering a longitudinal groove in the inside olf said tubular rod. The rib 77 is proyided to prevent the key strip 76 from binding tightly against the sides oi' the .hollow spindles B7 owing to the weight ot said strip tending to cause said strip to slide downwardly.

Vile will now describe the means illustrated in Figs. i), l0 and l1 for resetting all ot' the wheels 30 to their initial or Zero positions. llach wheel is formed or provided with a flange 78 which may be milled 'or roughened on its periphery, there being also three equidistant peripheral pins 79, as shown also in Figs. l, 2 and l. A swinging frame 80 monnted to oscillate on av pivot rod 81, and normally held in the position shown in Fig. 9' by a spring 82, provides bearings for a shaft 83 having a plurality of friction rolls or a single friction roll of suiicient length, to simultaneously engage all of the flanges 78 of the wheels when the swinging frame' is adjusted to the position shown in Fig. 10. A hand wheel 85 is proifided to enable the operator to rotate the friction roll or rolls and to also provide means whereby the frame 80 may be swung downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 9 to the position shown in il). A ratchet 85 engaged by a spring-pressed pawl 86 carried by an arm of the frame 80 prevents manipulation of the friction roll or rolls in the wrong direction. The proper direction of rotation is indicated by the arrow in Fig. 9,.

and the direction of rotation that may be imparted to any or all of the wheels that l are then free to be rotated will be of course,` as shown by comparing Figs. 9 and 11, in

the direction of the progression or increase" of thenumerals borne by the wheels. Pivotally connected to the frame 8O are stops 87, there being one for each wheel 30. rlhe pivotal .points are indicated at 88. Said Vstops have heels 89 adapted to abut against CII the side of frame when the frame is swung downwardly, the longer arms of the detents. resting upon stops which may be provided for all of the stops by the rod 90. By comparing Figs. 9 and 10 it will be seen that when the frame is swung downwardly to bring the resetting roll. or rolls 84 into contact with the flanges 78 of the wheels, they ends of the stops 87 will move upwardly into the path of movement of the pins 79 of the wheels. When this resetting mechau nism is to be utilized swing the lever 47 '(Fig. 2) so as to raise the hubs 3 7 and their pini/ons 88 to the position shown by full lines in Fig. .4, 'thereby disconnecting the lower toothed Vends 51 of said hubs out of engagement with the pins 52. This frees all of the wheels 30 so that when the operator then grasps the hand Wheel and swings the'frame downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 10 and then rotates the shaft and its friction hub or hubs in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 9, all of the wheels 30 will be moved in the direction de scribed until the pins 79ireach the ends of stops 87. Of course some of the wheels 30 will require more movement than others.

.The friction between the roll or rolls 84 and the wheels30 will be such that aft'er any wheel 30 is stopped as described the roll or rolls 84 will slip relatively to the wheel that has been stopped and continuato move other vwheels 30 until all have been brought to zero or 0 will show through the sight opening 33.

Another and preferred mechanism for effecting the resetting described is iilna trated in Fig. 23, in which the shaft 83 and. .m its friction roll or rolls 8i are carried by i rame 80"L pivoted at 8l, said frame having an arm 91 the end of which normally rests in a recess 92 of an arm 93 pivoted at 94: and provided with. a plurality of stops 87, the ends of which are adapted to co-act with pins'79 carried by the wheels 30. The inner edge of the frame 93 above the recess il. s curved substantially on an are having radii substantially corresponding wie length of the arm 9i.v Normally the parte will stand in the position shown lo il' l lines in Fig. When the operator sev ng theframe 80, as by means of a hand whee similar to that shown at 85 in Fig. 9, to th- Q dotted line position in Fig. Q3, the upward 4 movement of frame 9i first acts, by leaving the recess 92, to swing the arm v. all of 'the stops 87a will be mov dotted line position, thus locati 87a in proper position well an Contact of the friction roll or rolls rolls 84 the end 'of arm ill simply ride the inner curved surface of the f During this portion of the moverse also during the greater portion of the or outward movement of the roll or'rolls 8d,

een' f that the stops 87 remain in the position yand avoid any risk 30, or any of them, being shifted ont t reset positions.

lt is to be understood that the operator, while manipulating the resetting mechanism descnibedpwill continue to hold `the lever t7 (Fig. 2) so that the toohed lower end 5l of the hub of pinions 38 flill remain out of engagement with the pin .as shown in YFig. 4, so that said toothed lower end can be rotated as the wheels 30 are rotated. The reason for there being ten teeth at the said lower end 5l is that when the lever Li7 is released, after resetting the 115 wheels 30 to initial or Zero positions, there will be` proper rcngagement with pi.n 52 ifo matter what rotative position may be occupied by the latter. As shown in Fig. 4, when`the disengagement from pin 52 eX- ists, there is still sui'licient engagement of the lower pinion 38 with the crown gear 35 to render/ it certain that the parts can be restored to the positions indicated by full or dotted line positions of Fig. 2. Preferably the width of the pinions 38 is such that when being shifted from the full to dotted line position of Fig. 2, one pinion 38 will engage crown gear '35 just before.r the other leaves it. rlhis is permissible loe-.13a

Lemme Ibetween. `the driving and driven members,

to avoid locking of the teeth or damage.

The same will be true of some of the modi-l fications of the gearing presently described.

Instead of providing the wheels with fixed cams or projections 75, we may employ wheels 75 (Figs. 12 and 13), the wheels being mounted so that portions of their periiiheries will project suificiently to act against. pins 74- of the detent arms in the manner hereinbefore described in connection with Figs. `1 and 5. Instead of mounting wheels B0 upon a single shaft or rod, cach may be supported by a bracket 95 rising from the base 50, as shown in Fig. 14, in which figure we illustrate the rock bar 45 as in a plane between that of the upper and lower pinions 38, said rock bar having thc yokes 43 engaging grooves substantially mid-way between said pinions.

In Figs. 15 and 16 we illustrate a modification, in which there is provided. a cylindrical rod 90 mounted to be shifted slightly in the direction of its length as presently described. The wheels 30 are mounted loosely on said rod, each having secured thereto or integral therewith a hub 97 havingr at each end a gear 98, the teeth of said gears facing each other. The entire series of wheels 30 and hubs, although mounted to rotate on the rod 90., are held so as to be carried or shifted by said rod as presently described. In Fig. 15 a collar 97 is shown as secured to the rod, and it is to be understood that a similar collar is Secured at the lother cnd of the series. The ratchet pinions .14 arc mounted on fixed pins, as in Fig. 1, and have secured thereto or integral therewith pinions 99. vlach pinion 99 is between the teeth of the two gears 98 and is of slightly less diameter than the space between said teeth. By suitable mechanism such as a lever 100 having a pin dr pins engaging the annular groove in the rod 9G, said rod 90 can be shifted in the direction of its length so as to carry all of the wheels and the pairs of gears/98 so that the motion imparted to thel wheels will be in one direction or the other according to which gear 98 is in engagement with pinion 99. The pinion 99 is a rotary driving menrber, and the driven member comprises the wheel 30, and the hub 97 pre sents tw'o sides (gears 98), either one of which 1s slnftable into engagement with the driving member 99.

In Figs. 17. 18 and 19 the structure is' other words, the said wheels and their hub .Y

and gears are not shiftable laterally, being mounted on a cylindrical rod 81.'

.In Fig. 17 a. pinion 101 has its stud 102 provided with a iieXible connection 103 with the upper end of ratchet pinion 51 so that rotary motion will be imparted to pinion 101 in the same manner iis/described in connection with Fig. 1. The stud 102 is mounted in a bar 101- whichf'is shiftable in the direction of its length by suitable means which may be similar to the lever 100 in Fig. 15, so that the pinion 101 can be moved to shift the driving engagement from one side to the other of the driven member 30, 97, 98.

In Fig. 18 the structure is substantially the same as in Fig. 17, but instead of the flexible connection 103 we provide a universal joint 105.

In Fig. 19 the shiftable pinion 101 has no movement relatively to the ratchet pinion 5+, but said membersl 101 and 54 rock upon a foot bearing 10G so that the bar 104 can shift the' driving engagement from one Side to the other of the member 30, 97, 98.

In Figs. :20 and 21 an elongated pinion 38" is mounted upon a fixed pin and is connected to or integral with the ratchet stud 107 ot' an offset arm 108 secured to on integral with a short shaft 109 -mounted in a frame bar 110. arms 111 connected by a longitudinal adjustable bar 112 so that by moving said bar in the direction of its length it will rock the wheels 30 relatively to the axes of the shafts 109 to shift the driving engagement of member 38 from one side to the other of the toothed portion of wheel 30.

In Fig. 2Q the structure is substantially the saine as in Fig. 1, excepting that instead of the heb 37 connecting the two pinions 38, wc ina-v provide a'single elongated pinion 38') wn rh, when vertically adjusted as described in connection with Fig. 1, will shift the driving engagement from one. side to the other of the rotary member 30, .35.

It is to be understood of course that each form illustrated in Figs. 1l to 22 inclusive is adapted for use in calculating mechanism, as well as the form shown in Figs. 1 to 7.

When our invention is embodied in fr calculating machine as illustrated and de- The shafts 109 -haaLe-the Y either one of which scribed heein, the mechanism jpiovidee a pluiality or Series of counters oit indica'toiie7 is moved oi' actuated by devices which ali-e capable of advancing 01' ietiacting either counter oi" indicator So as to show an increaeed oi' diminished indication, each counter or indicator being controllable a `predetermined amount of movement. Each counter or indicatrn1 (encepting, .of course, the one the extreme left) is capable of automatically causing; independent actuation of the nent counteil oi indicator attlie left in either direction to show an increased o1;- diminished indication equal to one part in ten. Such automatic independent actuation of the counter oiindicatoi` at the left occurs at the time when the one, which causes suoli actuation is page ingl from 9 to O for addition, 0i' from 0 to 9 fm' subtraction. This iS performed oi' et footed Without an;7 connection with or movement of any counter or' indicator at the right of the one which is causing' the actuation toward the left.

Having described our invention, what We'I1 claim is:

1. ln mechanism of the cliaiactei' inteimittentljv rotating'eaid Wheel, a pivted stop aiin adapted to be moved to and i i jgoeition in the path of one of the vvlieel ptojections.l a curved aim movable with tbe nivoted eten arm, said curved aim having; a iecese, and a Swinging traine hav ing; a resetting membei' adapted to be engag-ed .vitli Said Wheel, said swinging iframe HARRISON, TW 

